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School District Decision Making Information |
Using GIS Tools & GeoDemographics to Analyze Student Performance School and school district summary test scores, assessment and performance data are widely available in tables and charts prepared by education agencies. To make effective use of test score data and assessment measures for school improvement requires linking those data with other data in a cause and effect, or modeling, manner. Such models can become very complex and often data required to estimate models are not available, limiting possible inferences that can be drawn. We seek other, additional, ways to identify patterns in the test score and assessment data that can help us understand relationships between student and school performance. Are lower performing students clustered in certain geographic areas? Do the demographics of such areas have a relationship to performance? How do lower performing areas, that might be identified by looking at a map of students by test score, relate to neighborhoods? To the corresponding school attendance zone? We can use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools with data on test scores by student and school, neighborhood area demographics, and school attendance zone demographics to visually analyze patterns. If we can identify patterns, possibly we can better make decisions to take steps to improve performance and educational opportunities. Upcoming DATAG Conference. Two sessions will be presented at the New York Data Analysis Technical Assistance Group (DATAG) Summer Conference to be held July 12-14, 2006 in Saratoga Springs, New York, on the topic of using Geographic Information System (GIS) tools and geodemographics to analyze student performance. The focus is on using geospatial analysis tools and demographic methods to analyze student performance to facilitate sustainable school improvement. See http://proximityone.com/sddmi.htm and http://proximityone.com/schoolimprovement.htm for background and related information. The sessions will cover relevant related data available from Census 2000, updates to those data, and processes for integration of those data with New York school/school district/community data for use in school system planning and leadership. Session One. The first session will be presented by Warren Glimpse (Proximity) from 3:30 to 5:30 pm on July 12th. This session will cover more hands-on, operational aspects of using the CommunityViewer software and the structure and content of the data files and demographics used in applications for several school districts including Oneida City, Rome City, and North Syracuse Central School Districts. Session Two. The second session will be presented in the morning session of July 13th. This session will address the same general topic but presented from a broader perspective -- how these tools and data help in the process of school improvement and decision-making. This session is presented by Warren Glimpse, Paul Seversky (Madison-Oneida BOCES), and Ron Spadafora (Oneida City). What is GIS? See the brief slideshow at http://proximityone.com/gisdm.htm for a basic overview and description of what a GIS is, how a GIS can be used, and the relationship to decision making. Start Using the Software and Demographics. Register for a userid to download and install the CommunityViewer software on your own Windows computer. In the registration form comments section, add that you are a DATAG conference registrant. You will also be provided with a New York state by school district CV project that you can use to get started or extend your work with GIS tools. The project files include FY 2004 sources and uses of funds data and challenge factor measures developed from the Census 2000 school district special tabulation. A project tutorial guide is also provided. The project will be briefly reviewed during the sessions. Decision Making Information & GIS Innovations. Innovative uses of new GIS technologies will also be reviewed. The process of interfacing school district boundaries (shapefiles converted to XML files) with the Google API interactive Web-based maps is shown for districts in the context of counties and regions. See examples of these applications in links at New York Decision Making Information (NYDMI). Click the red marker in a selected school district to see how you can access comparative analysis demographics. Join us at the Conference. See how you might apply these tools and methods to your situation. |
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